As soon as Bella let Ashaki out of the jeep and released her from the harness, the cheetah sprinted across the yard. After accompanying Bella on a quick trip around the savanna to survey the wildlife, Asha couldn’t be happier to be running free again. Bella leaned against the jeep and admired the big cat. It was still so amazing knowing that the cheetah was theirs. She’d became so easily attached to Nathan. It was also amazing how well Asha got along with Ramsey, though at the moment, the dog was lounging in the shade of a palm tree rather than facing the African sun.
Leaving the leash in the jeep, Bella wandered closer to the house to scratch Ramsey behind her ears and grab a couple of toys. The large, rubber ball was Asha’s favourite. Bella whistled and tossed the ball. Asha leapt into the air and caught it, returning it to Bella who tossed it as far away as possible. But having such incredible speed, it took seconds for Asha to retrieve the ball again. Over and over, Bella tossed the ball, occasionally running to another location to switch things up a bit. Soon, Bella was extremely exhausted again. She figured it was the heat, so after ruffling Asha’s fur one last time, she headed inside. The walk to the house seemed to only drain more energy out of Bella. For a moment, she stood still, holding on to the wall until the room stopped spinning. Her back soon found the surface of the wall and she slid down against it so she was sitting on the floor. She just needed a moment to collect herself. It’s just dehydration she mentally told herself. She would have to get up and head into the kitchen, where Nathan was preparing dinner already, to get a drink. He’d see right away that she still wasn’t feeling well, and as much as she started to worry herself, she didn’t want to worry him further. Just dehydration, she told herself once again. She stood up, took a deep breath and headed towards the kitchen.
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It was maybe one of the best Christmas gifts Bella had received. For weeks now, she and Nathan had been occasionally sleeping on an air mattress in their unfinished home. There had still more construction to be done on their house, but at last it was complete. Nathan and Bella had told the workers that they could have Christmas Eve off, but the men had insisted on working until the house was complete.
On Christmas day, Bella wrapped her arm around Nathan, standing in their brand new living room. “We’re home,” she said. “Is that mistletoe I see?” She grinned at him. He knew very well that they hadn’t hung any mistletoe. They’d only been able to decorate a small, plastic tree, but Bella was thrilled that he played along with her anyway. “I'm supposed kiss you, right?” Nathan grinned and leaned in, his lips brushing softly against Bella’s. They both heard Belie’s footsteps and then: “I will... retreat to my room then.” Belie Chuckled. “Have a fun you two!” Bella laughed lightly. Once the girl left, Bella wrapped her arm around Nathan again and pressed her ear to his chest. Sometimes she just needed to be sure that she wasn’t in the middle of a dream or some figment of her imagination. She needed to remind herself that the steady heartbeat she heard, the warmth of Nathan’s body, the amazing, unique surroundings of their new home… it was all real. A dream come true. “Ithemba,” Bella mumbled against Nathan’s chest. “Ithemba… Hope?” “Mm-hmm.” Bella smiled. “I’ve been thinking of a name for our place.” She didn’t have to look up at Nathan to see the smile that budded on his face. “Ithemba Refuge. Not bad at all.” Bella glanced up at him. “Yeah? We can always change it once we fully establish things.” “I love it,” he said. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Merry Christmas, handsome,” said Bella. “And happy early birthday too,” she added with a grin. Their land was private now. Not only were there a few No Trespassing signs around the surrounding areas, but everything was fenced off. There were some parts, probably the smallest areas of the land, that were fenced away from wildlife: the areas that would contain Nathan and Bella’s house as well as the headquarters for their rescue/rehabilitation and the wildlife orphanage. Bella stood near the region where their house would be located. She couldn’t help but smile, seeing the progress. It was slow, but it was really happening.
Darkness was soon upon them, and the construction workers were leaving. Bella thanked them and hopped back into the jeep to go home for the night. Back in New York, Nathan was saying goodbye to his late grandmother. It made Bella’s heart ache, knowing that he was dealing with this all alone. Everything in her wanted to hop on a plane and run to her boyfriend’s side, but she couldn’t leave. Not when there was so much to be done. When Bella wasn’t actively working with the hands hired to prepare their land, she was doing veterinary checkups. She wasn’t that used to working with the adult wildcats, but she managed to handle it rather well. It was amazing what a natural Nathan was at caring for these giants. He was so comfortable around them. Bella, on the other hand was more comfortable with the infant animals. So this made her miss Nathan more. That night, Belie came to stay with Bella. Years ago, Bella thrived on being alone. She never thought in a million years that she would hate being alone, but as it turns out, she’d grown so accustomed to Nathan being there that the empty apartment was desolate without him. It was a new sentiment for her; missing someone so deeply that she felt incomplete. She wasn’t a clingy woman nor was she needy, but that night, as she lay in bed alone, she grabbed her phone and sent Nathan a message. I miss you. Come back soon. Love you ❤ |
Isabella Kaylee DwyerWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2017
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